Thursday 10 October 2013

Good morning probing

Yesterday was the anxiously awaited saline sonohysterogram, the fun cousin of our favourite fertility diagnostic test, the hsg. In the sono, like the hsg, a catheter with a balloon is inserted through the cervix into the uterus, where the balloon is inflated. Then sterile saline is injected to open up the uterine walls (which usually lie flat against each other like a sandwich) while our trusty friend the transvaginal ultrasound probe visualizes the walls of the uterus.

I was in fear of a giant polyp waving back, like this:


The letter A is pointing to a big ole polyp. First off, mine didn't look anything like this, it looked much much much smaller when "fully" inflated with saline (B) and those muscular uterine walls (C) also look huge. Maybe this image is enlarged relative to what my doctor had on screen.

Once the procedure got going, and that balloon was inserted, words can't describe the pain I experienced. In places I didn't know existed, aside from the brief jab during the hsg. This sono though, pushed through that pain. Ironically, when I was expected to feel "cramping" I did but it was no big deal. I felt certain in those moments that the pain was evidence that my entire uterus was fused together like a grilled cheese sandwich and the pain was ripping adhesions. As that was not the case, I have no explanation for the excruciating pain, all I know is that it only happened during these two procedures. Which I never ever want to repeat.

but I could go for a grilled cheese.

Good news, everything was clear, and a nice ripe follicle was identified on the right ovary that will ovulate sometime in the next few days, not that it has anywhere to go. Bad news, I'm still on the maximum daily dose of Advil from the pain of yesterday's probing. My other half asked where all the eggs go if my tubes are all blocked. I suppose they are all reabsorbed into the body, but I can't help but picture my abdominal cavity full of little globules.

Next week, IVF "class" - can't wait to see what that's all about. I bet there is a test.

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